August 17, 2008

Male Giraffe Dies at N.C. Zoo

ASHEBORO -- A 14-year-old male giraffe died at the North Carolina Zoo on Thursday afternoon while undergoing surgery to remove a stone blocking his urinary tract.

Azog was born at the N.C. Zoo in July 1994. He was one of two adult giraffes in the zoo's collection.

Keepers noticed he was having urinary problems Thursday morning and called in zoo veterinarians, who diagnosed the problem.

The zoo's chief veterinarian, Mike Loomis, said the blockage would have eventually caused the giraffe's death. As a result, the decision was made to immediately remove the stone surgically.

The procedure began about noon, but after more than two hours of surgery, veterinarians were unable to reach the blockage. Azog died under anesthesia about 2:30 p.m. in the giraffe holding barn, where the procedure was conducted.

Loomis said he had anesthetized more than a dozen giraffes over the years and this has been the first to die under anesthesia.

"But we knew there were risks because this is a species that is extremely susceptible to problems under anesthesia," Loomis said. "It was a calculated risk that we had to take."